Line rental and VoIP

[Tarnbrick]

I would thank all the people who have responded to my original post -

But -  The post was not about the technical definition of a landline

It was not about the technical definition of line rental

It was not about the fact that the charge previously known as line rental is not shown seperately but is now included in the broadband package price.

It was not about the fact that some people have broadband without a telephone service included.

So maybe I have chosen the wrong words in my original post.

Let me try again by stripping it down to bare essentials.-

We pay to have a telephone service delivered to our property.  The old system is being replaced by a new system but  obviously we must continue to pay for it to be delivered to the property.   My very long experience of BT, going all the way back to when it was known as Post Office Telephones,  tells me that there is a very good chance that a new system will bring a new method of charging for it.  At the moment BT say the charges will not alter when you move over to the new system.  So my query to the Moderators/Experts/Gurus on this Forum, who have their ears to the ground, is have they heard of any signs or indications from BT that the  charging system will change, probably not to the benefit of the customers.

I apologize if my original post was not up to my usual magnificent standard.. 

[conrad]

If you were on an adsl copper only connection then to get VOIP the line would have to be upgraded to fibre with a rise in the monthly cost. If you were on a fibre connection there would be no change to that when  being put onto VOIP and no change in the monthly cost - you just get provided with the relevant equipment to carry on as normal which is what BT currently does.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@conrad 

BT Digital Voice can operate over an ADSL connection, as its bandwidth requirements are very tiny.

All that will happen on ADSL, is that the termination to the PSTN equipment will be ceased, the rest of the circuit from the copper MSAN will remain.

There are lots of people who only have ADSL as an option. Also those who have no interest in regrading onto fibre with a new contract and an increase in price.

[rbz5416]

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@Tarnbrickwrote:
any signs or indications from BT that the  charging system will change, probably not to the benefit of the customers.

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The charging system has already changed to the detriment of customers with the introduction of the "no phone" option. Instead of reducing prices for not having a phone, the prices were kept the same with additional charges added for a phone service.

As has been touched on in recent threads, it's probably time that the whole concept of line rental for broadband packages was consigned to history, given you can't have broadband without a "line", be it copper, fibre or a combination of the two.

[licquorice]

Put very simply, the charges for telephony are exactly the same regardless of how that service is delivered. As far as I'm aware, there are no plans to change that.

If you think about it logically, broadband and telephony exist  together on the same pair of wires regardless of if the telephony is analogue or digital.

[Tarnbrick]

Yes you are correct and I agree with what you say.

The reason I am asking about any  possible change in charges is because BT have just announced that the pause in the roll-out of their VoIP (Digital Voice) is ending and the roll-out will re-commence in April 2023.

Considering that calls via this method will be cheaper, or even free,  for instance it is said that calls  which presently cost £1 to £2 will probably cost 10p to 12p, especially to other countries.  Will BT be having a look at the prices they charge for calling plans in the future for customers using VoIP?  I thought maybe somebody on this forum may have heard something about it from a BT source.